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DST and CSE to collaborate to build EV battery manufacturing capabilities

(KNN) The government’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) joined hands with the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) to create a platform that will support the development of new electric vehicle batteries to suit and meet Indian requirements. As per reports, a white paper will be prepared on a roadmap for the development of new battery technologies in India; this would be followed by the creation of an expert-industry forum or platform to support this process. FOLLOW US on GOOGLE NEWS CSE and DST had recently organised a round table on locally appropriate EV batteries that are safe, durable and effective within the constraints of a hot and humid tropical climate. This was the first in a series of consultations that will be held with experts from leading institutions and representatives from vehicle manufacturers, battery industry, regulatory bodies, testing entities and independent laboratories focused on battery chemistries. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director-research and advocacy, CSE said, “India has been working with FAME and production-linked incentives to push the EV story, but challenges abound with regard to cost, safety and charging infrastructure – all of which point at gaps in fulfilling the country’s zero emission ambitions. The gaps range from concerns relating to safety, supply chain, cost sensitivity and need for quick charging opportunities among others.” “This joint initiative of DST and CSE is aimed at addressing these gaps and to create a platform that will assess, evaluate and identify technology solutions that are safe, have locally appropriate supply chain systems and can be customised for the various vehicle applications,” said Moushumi Mohanty, senior programme manager, Clean Air and Sustainable Mobility, CSE, The round table brought forward several key issues for establishing future pathways. Building volumes for EV battery manufacturing and ensuring the supply chain is an important issue. Suppose the global EV battery storage is expected to be 10,000 GWhr in 2030-35. In that case, India cannot be less than 5 per cent of the global battery manufacturing capacity, according to the CSE press note.

Kolkata: Temperature drop pushes up air pollutant levels

KOLKATA: The drop in temperature to 16.9 °C on Wednesday had an immediate impact on the ambient air quality across the city. After a brief respite for a couple of days, the city's ambient air once again swung back to its 'poor' (AQI range: 201-300) status. The air quality might degrade even further in the next two days with the wintry chill persisting, pollution control board (PCB) scientists warned. The lowest temperature on Wednesday dropped by almost 2°C. Track the pollution level in your city "The earth's surface has become cooler than the upper atmosphere. This phenomenon, known as thermal inversion, leaves pollutants hanging close to the ground at a breathable height, putting residents at greater risk. In other seasons, we might emit similar amounts of pollutants, but they escape high in the atmosphere because of the warmer earth's surface," said a PCB scientist. Indian Council of Medical Research said poor air quality caused breathing discomfort among most people on prolonged exposure. "It is particularly bad for people with pre-existing respiratory issues. We urgently need a graded response action plan (GRAP) to give citizens some relief," said Bonani Kakkar, founder of People United for Better Living in Calcutta (PUBLIC). Temp drop pushes up air pollutant levels The air quality of Ballygunge and Salt Lake, particularly, worsened considerably on Wednesday. In the afternoon, the air quality measured at these two stations hovered above 290. If it crossed the 301-mark, the air quality would have turned 'very poor'. "Under these circumstances, people should refrain from getting exposed to ambient air. The finer particulate matter travels to the lung and causes serious respiratory ailments. We are witnessing a rise in the number of respiratory distress patients at our OPDs," said senior pulmonologist Arup Halder. The Rabindra Sarobar continuous ambient air quality monitoring station (CAAQMS), which usually shows the best possible air quality in the city, also indicated 'poor' throughout the day. The only CAAQMS that showed 'moderate' air quality is the one at Fort William. "The north-easterly wind is probably carrying pollutants to the Hooghly from the Maidan area," said a scientist. "Winter is a special challenge when inversion and cool and calm weather trap and spike daily pollution. This year, even though the average level of PM2.5 in summer and monsoon was considerably lower than that in the previous year due to the pandemic, the winter PM2.5 concentration has risen compared to that of 2019 winter in many cities across regions," said Anumita Roychowdhury, CSE's executive director in charge of research and advocacy.

Centre and environmental think tank work towards development of India specific EV batteries

The Centre's Department of Science and Technology (DST) and green think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) have collaborated to create a platform that will support the development of new electric vehicle (EV) batteries to suit Indian requirements. A white paper will be prepared on a roadmap to develop new battery technologies in India. This would be followed by the creation of an expert-industry forum or platform to support this process, the CSE said in a statement on Tuesday. This collaborative initiative was kicked off recently with a round table on locally appropriate EV batteries that are safe, durable and effective within the constraints of a hot and humid tropical climate. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director-research and advocacy, CSE, said: "India has been working with FAME and production-linked incentives to push the EV story, but challenges are abound with regard to cost, safety and charging infrastructure - all of which point at gaps in fulfilling the country's zero emission ambitions. The gaps range from concerns relating to safety, supply chain, cost sensitivity and need for quick charging opportunities among others." "This joint initiative is aimed at addressing these gaps and to create a platform that will assess, evaluate and identify technology solutions that are safe, have locally appropriate supply chain systems and can be customised for various vehicle applications," said Moushumi Mohanty, senior programme manager, Clean Air and Sustainable Mobility, CSE. As part of the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020, the Department of Heavy Industry had formulated a scheme -- Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) in 2015 to promote manufacturing of electric and hybrid vehicle technology and to ensure its sustainable growth.

CSE and DST join hands to develop EV batteries suited for India

The partners say a white paper will be prepared on a roadmap for the development of new battery technologies in India; this would be followed by the creation of an expert-industry forum or platform to support this process. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) of the government of India have collaborated to create a platform that will support the development of new electric vehicle batteries to suit and meet Indian requirements. The partners say a white paper will be prepared on a roadmap for the development of new battery technologies in India; this would be followed by the creation of an expert-industry forum or platform to support this process. This was the first in a series of consultations that will be held with experts from leading institutions and representatives from vehicle manufacturers, battery industry, regulatory bodies, testing entities and independent laboratories focused on battery chemistries. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director-research and advocacy, CSE said, “India has been working with FAME and production-linked incentives to push the EV story, but challenges abound with regard to cost, safety and charging infrastructure – all of which point at gaps in fulfilling the country’s zero emission ambitions. The gaps range from concerns relating to safety, supply chain, cost sensitivity and need for quick charging opportunities among others.”

Indian manufacturers and brands don’t manage plastic waste adequately, flags CSE

NEW DELHI: Plastic production has quadrupled over the last four decades and if this trend were to continue, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from plastics alone would reach 15% of the global carbon budget by 2050, said the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in its new report, released on Tuesday, that made a case for proper recycling of of its waste to save the planet. Keeping in view the enormous challenge of plastic waste that pollutes air, water and soil, and also enters the food chain through animals carrying microplastics in their bodies, the report - The Plastic Life-Cycle - flags findings of a research paper published in Nature Climate Change, saying "if the plastic industry were a country, it would be the fifth largest GHG emitter on Earth”. The report, released jointly by environment secretary Leena Nandan and Niti Ayog CEO Parameswaran Iyer, shows that India consumed 18.45 million metric tonne (MMT) of plastic in the year 2018-19 and 59% of this went into packaging — it means of all the petrochemicals produced in the country (29.1 MMT), more than 37% was used to manufacture plastics for packaging applications. Noting the existing challenge of managing the plastic waste, the report reveals that India recycled a meagre 12% and burnt 20% of the 3.5 million tonnes of plastic waste it generated in 2019-20 whereas there is no information on the remaining 68% of plastic waste, which most likely ends up in dumpsites and landfills. Broadly, the report flags that the plastic producers as well as major Indian brands cause plastic waste and pollution in the country in a big way. They manufacture large amounts of plastic which can’t be recycled, while brands do not recycle enough. “We are given to understand that the problem of plastic is a waste management issue and not a material production issue because we can recycle it, burn and bury it, or ship it to other countries where it can be handled. But it is not that simple. We have crossed the last frontier on plastic with our current production and consumption patterns. Plastic has not gone away. Plastic that we produce on land is now ending up in our oceans, and from there and elsewhere, into our own bodies," said Sunita Narain, director general, CSE. Globally, the production of plastic between 2000 and 2015 increased by a whopping 79%. “The total mass of plastics on our planet is now twice the mass of all living mammals, and about 80% of all the plastics ever produced continues to remain in the environment,” said the CSE, referring to another study by the Stockholm Resilience Centre.

Plastic Production Has Quadrupled Over The Last Four Decades; Poses A Global Challenge

Between 2000 and 2015, global production of plastic increased by a whopping 79 per cent. The total mass of plastics on our planet is now twice the mass of all living mammals, and about 80 per cent of all the plastics ever produced continues to remain in the environment. There is an intimate connection to climate change as well. Plastic production has quadrupled over the last four decades and if this trend were to continue, the Green House Gas (GHG) emissions from plastics alone would reach 15 per cent of the global carbon budget by 2050. In fact, if the plastic industry were a country, it would be the fifth largest greenhouse gas emitter on Earth. India consumed 18.45 million metric tonne (MMT) of plastic in the year 2018-19 — 59 per cent of this went into packaging. This means that of all the petrochemicals produced in the country (29.1 MMT), more than 37 per cent was used to manufacture plastics for packaging applications. A new report released today (22 November) by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) quotes these mind-numbing data and information from international and national research to bring home the omnipresent character of the ‘plastic problem’. The report was released at a national conclave titled, ‘The plastic life cycle’ that brought together key regulators, waste management professionals, urban and town planners, representatives from NGOs and journalists. The report was released jointly by the secretary, Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Leena Nandan, chief executive officer, NITI Aayog, Parameswaran Iyer and director general, CSE Sunita Narain. Speaking at the occasion, Narain said: “We are given to understand that the problem of plastic is a waste management issue and not a material production issue because we can recycle it, burn and bury it, or ship it to other countries where it can be handled. But it is not that simple." "We have crossed the last frontier on plastic with our current production and consumption patterns. Plastic has not gone away. Plastic that we produce on land is now ending up in our oceans, and from there and elsewhere, into our own bodies,” she added. Releasing the report, Leena Nandan pointed out that while the issue of managing plastic waste was indeed an extremely complex one, it was not something that cannot be resolved. In fact, efforts to mitigate the ill effects of plastics have gained traction through the introduction of policies such as single-use plastic ban and extended producer responsibility. The Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 has listed plastic waste management as one of its key agendas. Carrying on from where Nandan left off, Parameswaran Iyer spoke about three key areas where intervention needed to be focused. “These three key things are governance of plastic and plastic waste management, ensuring behaviour change among people so that they are involved in this management, and following the tenets laid down in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mission LiFE (Lifestyle For Environment), which tells us what communities can and should do,” he said. CSE’s report “is an effort to understand the plastic life cycle and the plastic pollution challenge from the perspective of the different stakeholders who are integral to the landscape.” The report, thus, is an extensive assessment of the roles played by stakeholders ranging from the petroleum, petrochemical and plastic industry and the biodegradable and compostable plastic industry. It also includes producers and brand owners to retailers and consumers, the formal and informal sector recyclers and aggregators, and end-of-life solution providers. Offering the rationale behind the report, Atin Biswas, Municipal Solid Waste Management Unit, CSE says: “The coming years are going to be critical for defining the way we approach this enormous challenge of plastic waste. The technical capacity of the state governments, urban local bodies, and other stakeholders would play a pivotal role in achieving a plastic waste-free nation." Biswas adds that, "It is, therefore, imperative to understand the life cycle of plastic to strategise and streamline our approach towards managing plastic waste not only in India, but across the globe.”

Is Loss And Damage Fund Another Addition To The Empty Coffers Meant For Poor Nations?

A transitional committee that will decide the fund amount and its recipients will only meet by March 2023 Last year, climate activist Greta Thunberg summarised the COP26 Glasgow Summit as “Blah, blah, blah...” This year, at the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit, world leaders have delivered what is being described as a ‘breakthrough agreement’ on dedicated Loss and Damage Fund for vulnerable countries. This looks like a victory for the decades-long efforts of small island developing states (SIDC), who gave the concept and gradually found support in other emerging market economies and the least developed nations. According to UN report, from 1970 to 2019, climate-change induced natural hazards accounted for 50 per cent of all natural disasters, 45 per cent of all reported deaths and 74 per cent of all reported economic losses. Over two million people died in these climate-related disasters and resulted in about $3.64 trillion in losses for the global economy. Also, more than 91 per cent of the deaths occurred in developing countries. It does not mean that climate-related disasters occur more in developing world than the developed side of the world. It only highlights the vulnerability of poorer nations due to paucity of funds in dealing with them, dependence on agriculture by large population and the resultant food insecurity. However, the announced agreement leaves much to be desired as all the nitty-gritty of the deal —as to how much fund will be mobilised and who will get it— has been passed on to transitional committee which will only meet by March 2023. The question on whether China and India, the world’s largest and third largest polluter, respectively, but having no role in cumulative historical emissions, should be asked to pay up remain unanswered. Yet, it can be easily inferred from the past negotiations that pressure would be built on China and India to contribute, similar to how India was earlier coerced into committing to a net-zero target. Moreover, as assessed by the Centre for Science and Environment, the adopted decision does not mention the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities, which are enshrined within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Climate Agreement. Notably, this is not the first time that the apex climate body has agreed to establish a dedicated fund for fighting off climate change-related issues. In the 2009 Copenhagen accord, the Green Climate Fund was mooted to help developing countries transition to low-emission and climate-resilient development. Based on the polluters-pay principle, developed countries were required to mobilise $100 billion by 2020 every year until 2025. This was formally agreed upon under the Paris Agreement.

केंद्र भारत में ईवी बैटरी के उत्पादन को बढ़ावा देने के लिए थिंक थैंक्स के साथ सहयोग करता

केंद्र के विज्ञान और प्रौद्योगिकी विभाग (डीएसटी) और ग्रीन थिंक टैंक सेंटर फॉर साइंस एंड एनवायरनमेंट (सीएसई) ने एक मंच बनाने के लिए सहयोग किया है जो भारतीय आवश्यकताओं के अनुरूप नई इलेक्ट्रिक वाहन (ईवी) बैटरी के विकास का समर्थन करेगा। भारत में नई बैटरी तकनीकों को विकसित करने के लिए एक रोडमैप पर एक श्वेत पत्र तैयार किया जाएगा। सीएसई ने मंगलवार को एक बयान में कहा, इसके बाद इस प्रक्रिया का समर्थन करने के लिए एक विशेषज्ञ-उद्योग मंच या मंच का निर्माण किया जाएगा। इस सहयोगी पहल को हाल ही में स्थानीय उपयुक्त ईवी बैटरी पर एक गोल मेज के साथ शुरू किया गया था जो गर्म और आर्द्र उष्णकटिबंधीय जलवायु की बाधाओं के भीतर सुरक्षित, टिकाऊ और प्रभावी हैं। अनुमिता रॉयचौधरी, कार्यकारी निदेशक-अनुसंधान और वकालत, सीएसई, ने कहा: "भारत ईवी कहानी को आगे बढ़ाने के लिए फेम और उत्पादन से जुड़े प्रोत्साहन के साथ काम कर रहा है, लेकिन लागत, सुरक्षा और चार्जिंग बुनियादी ढांचे के संबंध में चुनौतियां लाजिमी हैं - जिनमें से सभी बिंदु देश की शून्य उत्सर्जन महत्वाकांक्षाओं को पूरा करने में अंतराल पर। अंतर दूसरों के बीच सुरक्षा, आपूर्ति श्रृंखला, लागत संवेदनशीलता और त्वरित चार्जिंग अवसरों की आवश्यकता से संबंधित चिंताओं से लेकर है।" वरिष्ठ कार्यक्रम मौसमी मोहंती ने कहा, "इस संयुक्त पहल का उद्देश्य इन कमियों को दूर करना और एक ऐसा मंच तैयार करना है जो सुरक्षित, स्थानीय रूप से उपयुक्त आपूर्ति श्रृंखला प्रणालियों का मूल्यांकन, मूल्यांकन और पहचान करेगा और विभिन्न वाहन अनुप्रयोगों के लिए अनुकूलित किया जा सकता है।" प्रबंधक, स्वच्छ वायु और सतत गतिशीलता, सीएसई। नेशनल इलेक्ट्रिक मोबिलिटी मिशन प्लान (NEMMP) 2020 के हिस्से के रूप में, भारी उद्योग विभाग ने 2015 में इलेक्ट्रिक और इलेक्ट्रिक वाहनों के निर्माण को बढ़ावा देने के लिए भारत में (हाइब्रिड और) इलेक्ट्रिक वाहनों के तेजी से अपनाने और विनिर्माण (FAME India) नामक एक योजना तैयार की थी। हाइब्रिड वाहन प्रौद्योगिकी और इसके सतत विकास को सुनिश्चित करने के लिए।

Sunanda K. Datta-Ray | Deal on climate, but hard decisions put off till 2023

The goal was to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels Hearing Gianni Infantino, Fifa’s Swiss-born ethnic Italian president, declare “I think for what we Europeans have been doing the last 3,000 years, we should be apologising for the next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons to people”, millions of TV watchers worldwide may have wondered if it was the moment of truth, the epiphany that would erase the difference between East and West, rich and poor, and save mankind from extinction through floods, fires and all the catastrophic effects of climate change. For it was the last day of a contentious two-week conference on saving a world teetering on the edge of destruction, desertification and drowning. But, no, Mr Infantino wasn’t addressing the COP27 (Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) summit in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh where the representatives of 200 nations were haggling on who would have to pay the price of industrialisation. He was speaking in Qatar on the eve of the World Cup soccer tournament. The White House reckons that floods, drought, wildfires and hurricanes exacerbated by climate change could cost Washington about $2 trillion annually by the end of the century. Delayed by a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic, COP27 left effective action for COP28 to be held at the end of 2023. In theory, however, the developed nations agreed at last Sunday’s dawn session to create a “loss and damage fund” to help the developing countries pay for the disastrous consequences of climate change. The crucial question of who will finance the fund and who will be entitled to draw on it has been left to the future, and probably even more painfully protracted wrangling. But for Egypt’s Sameh Shoukry, who presided over the tumultuous two weeks of bargaining, this represented “the highest ambition that can be reached at this time”. He saw the agreement as “a gateway” to more substantive, far-reaching actions to counter the effects of climate change and the long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns that destroyed the Indus Valley civilisation in Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, accounted for damage worth more than $30 billion in Pakistan’s devastating floods, and threatens to obliterate the independent Pacific island of Tuvalu. Since the 1800s, human activities -- not natural causes -- have been the main driver of climate change, primarily because burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas generate greenhouse gas emissions that act like a blanket wrapped around the Earth, trapping the sun’s heat and raising temperatures so that icebergs melt, forests burn and the oceans rise. The United States had previously opposed the plan for a disaster-aversion fund, fearing it might have to bankroll it. The $11.4 billion that President Joe Biden has promised may be a drop in the ocean of global needs, although American officials who attended the Sharm el-Sheikh summit argued that it would suffice for Washington’s international climate commitments. The draft agreement says nothing about the demand to phase out all polluting fossil fuels. India, which relies heavily on coal, initially led the push to broaden the phasedown to include natural gas and oil. Later, the United States, the European Union and other vulnerable countries also backed the call. China and Saudi Arabia didn’t. Nor did the energy-poor African nations. A core commitment of last year’s landmark Glasgow Climate Pact, reached at COP26 which targeted only coal, was to reassemble more quickly than planned and persuade many countries to accelerate their efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions even more. That didn’t happen. It probably would not have happened even if Covid-19 had not intervened. Inspired by the British politician, Alok Sharma, the pact also called for a doubling of finance to help developing countries to adapt to climate change and build resilience. Moreover, Glasgow established a work programme to define a global goal on adaptation, which will identify collective needs and solutions to the crisis already affecting many countries. While the need to adapt is not disputed, some of the most vulnerable communities are also the least able to adapt because they are poor and already struggling to mobilise resources for basics like health care and education. It has been estimated that adaptation costs in developing countries could reach $300 billion every year by 2030. Right now, only 21 per cent (or about $16.8 billion annually) of the climate finance provided by richer countries to assist developing nations goes towards adaptation and resilience. The Kyoto Protocol, adopted in December 1997 although it did not enter into force until February 2005, was one of the earliest action-oriented expressions of collective global concern. The protocol’s 192 parties operationalized the UNFCC by committing industrialised countries and economies in transition to limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with agreed individual targets. A number of countries have developed national adaptation plans since 2011, but a more aggressive version of the global adaptation fund, which already finances pioneering initiatives in developing countries like Costa Rica, Ghana, Djibouti and even India, is obviously needed. The wealthier countries are supposed to fulfil their commitment made in the Paris agreement to provide $100 billion a year in international climate finance. At least half of this should go to adaptation. This would be an important symbol of global solidarity in the face of a challenge we can only solve if everyone works together. The Paris agreement, a legally binding international treaty adopted by 196 parties at COP21 in December 2015, was a landmark in the multilateral climate change process because, for the first time, a binding agreement brought all nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat the peril. All the parties to the agreement were committed to strengthening the global response by increasing the ability of all to adapt and build resilience, and reduce vulnerability. The goal was to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. This long-term temperature goal, which is essential to achieve a climate neutral world by mid-century, will remain elusive if governments continue to squander their resources on weapons, space programmes, massive statuary and elaborate, expensive and unnecessary city redevelopment. As Indian environmentalist Sunita Narain has pointed out, we already know how to make our communities safer, and must act on that knowledge in the interests of justice. The tragedy is that there’s a Nero fiddling away in every burning Rome.

COP27: Tι πήγε καλά, τι απέτυχε και τι έπεται στις ενέργειες για το κλίμα

Η27η διάσκεψη των Ηνωμένων Εθνών για το κλίμα (COP27) ολοκληρώθηκε το πρωί της Κυριακής με τους ερευνητές να είναι σε μεγάλο βαθμό απογοητευμένοι από την έλλειψη οποιασδήποτε φιλοδοξίας για σταδιακή κατάργηση των ορυκτών καυσίμων. Eκπρόσωποι από χώρες χαμηλού και μεσαίου εισοδήματος μάλιστα κατέληξαν σε συμφωνία για ένα νέο ταμείο χρηματοδότησης «απωλειών και ζημιών» για να τους βοηθήσει να καλύψουν το κόστος των επιπτώσεων της κλιματικής αλλαγής. Το τελικό κείμενο περίληψης 10 σελίδων, το οποίο συμφωνήθηκε στις 20 Νοεμβρίου, λέει ότι ο περιορισμός της υπερθέρμανσης του πλανήτη στους 1,5 °C πάνω από τα προβιομηχανικά επίπεδα απαιτεί «ταχεία, βαθιά και διαρκή μείωση των εκπομπών αερίων του θερμοκηπίου» έως το 2030. Το Μέλλον Με Πλαστικά Greenpeace 00:00 Previous PauseNext 00:33 / 01:53 Unmute Fullscreen Copy video url Play / Pause Mute / Unmute Report a problem Language Mox Player Ωστόσο, οι εκκλήσεις για σταδιακή κατάργηση των ορυκτών καυσίμων εμποδίστηκαν από τα κράτη που παράγουν πετρέλαιο και ορισμένοι εκπρόσωποι προσπάθησαν να βρουν λόγους για να είναι ικανοποιημένοι με τον αργό ρυθμό που κυλούν τα σχέδια απαλλαγής από τον άνθρακα. Πολλοί κατηγόρησαν την ενεργειακή κρίση που πυροδότησε η εισβολή της Ρωσίας στην Ουκρανία για έλλειψη προόδου στο ζήτημα με τα ορυκτά καύσιμα. Στα 45.000 ανέρχονται τα άτομα που εγγράφηκαν για να παρακολουθήσουν τις διαβουλεύσεις της COP27, με αποτέλεσμα ορισμένοι να αναρωτηθούν εάν αυτό από μόνο του αποτελεί ένα δείγμα για μια κατάλληλη αντιμετώπιση μιας πλανητικής έκτακτης ανάγκης. «Οι διαπραγματεύσεις που γίνονται στερούνται εντελώς πραγματικότητας», λέει η Sunita Narain, γενική διευθύντρια του Κέντρου Επιστήμης και Περιβάλλοντος, ενός οργανισμού περιβαλλοντικής έρευνας στο Νέο Δελχί της Ινδίας. Αν και έχει αξία να φέρεις κοντά τους ανθρώπους για να μοιραστούν ιδέες και να δώσουν ώθηση, φοβάται ότι ο βασικός σκοπός της συνάντησης - να ωθήσουν τους παγκόσμιους ηγέτες να δεσμευτούν σε ισχυρότερες ενέργειες και να τους θέσουν υπόλογους - έχει χαθεί. «Δεν έχω ξαναδεί κάτι τέτοιο. Υποβαθμίσαμε το όλο θέμα σε ένα μεγαλειώδες θέαμα», λέει. Ερευνητές και ακτιβιστές που παρευρέθηκαν στις συνομιλίες για πρώτη φορά περιέγραψαν δυσπιστία καθώς οι κυβερνητικοί διαπραγματευτές επί μέρες πήγαιναν και ερχόντουσαν δίχως τα όσα εξέφραζαν να έχουν ουσιαστική βαρύτητα. «Είμαι απλά, πολύ απλά σοκαρισμένος με τη διαπραγματευτική διαδικασία που έχω δει», λέει ο Blutus Mbambi από το Κέντρο Δράσης και Συνηγορίας για την Κλιματική Αλλαγή στη Λουσάκα της Ζάμπια. «Αλλά θα συνεχίσουμε να στηρίζουμε. Θα συνεχίσουμε να πιέζουμε».

Centre collaborates with think thank to push production of EV batteries in India

The Centre's Department of Science and Technology (DST) and green think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) have collaborated to create a platform that will support the development of new electric vehicle (EV) batteries to suit Indian requirements. A white paper will be prepared on a roadmap to develop new battery technologies in India. This would be followed by the creation of an expert-industry forum or platform to support this process, the CSE said in a statement on Tuesday.

Centre collaborates with think thank to push production of EV batteries in India

The Centre’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) and green think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) have collaborated to create a platform that will support the development of new electric vehicle (EV) batteries to suit Indian requirements. A white paper will be prepared on a roadmap to develop new battery technologies in India. This would be followed by the creation of an expert-industry forum or platform to support this process, the CSE said in a statement on Tuesday. This collaborative initiative was kicked off recently with a round table on locally appropriate EV batteries that are safe, durable and effective within the constraints of a hot and humid tropical climate. Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director-research and advocacy, CSE, said: “India has been working with FAME and production-linked incentives to push the EV story, but challenges are abound with regard to cost, safety and charging infrastructure – all of which point at gaps in fulfilling the country’s zero emission ambitions. The gaps range from concerns relating to safety, supply chain, cost sensitivity and need for quick charging opportunities among others.” “This joint initiative is aimed at addressing these gaps and to create a platform that will assess, evaluate and identify technology solutions that are safe, have locally appropriate supply chain systems and can be customised for various vehicle applications,” said Moushumi Mohanty, senior programme manager, Clean Air and Sustainable Mobility, CSE. As part of the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020, the Department of Heavy Industry had formulated a scheme — Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) in 2015 to promote manufacturing of electric and hybrid vehicle technology and to ensure its sustainable growth. PTI GVS CJ CJ